Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, on Friday, inaugurated a 10-man steering committee on the Framework for Responsible Investment in Land-Intensive Agriculture (FRILIA) programme.

FRILIA is a 750-million-dollar World Bank-assisted programme available to boost agriculture in the state if it is effectively implemented.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Monday Onyeme, who doubles as the committee chairman,  performed the inauguration in Asaba, the state capital.

Mr Oborevwori said that FRILIA was conceptualised to facilitate ease of doing business in Delta, adding that agricultural development remains a key priority of the federal government.

He said the terms of reference included that members should promote transparency in land acquisition and resettlement for large-scale agribusiness investment.

“Promote the application of inclusive agriculture and agricultural production models.

“Promote and safeguard measures against dispossession of tenure rights holders. 

“Monitor the application of compensation standards, and promote environmental sustainability in the utilisation of land for agri-business investment,” he said.

The governor also inaugurated a 20-man technical committee to provide expert and technical support to the steering committee.

To complement the committee’s task, Mr Oborevwori inaugurated a six-member grievance and redress committee comprising experts in land administration and allocation.

“This committee is to address complaints and disputes that may arise in the process of land acquisition and allocation for agribusiness investments,” the governor said.

In their separate remarks, the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, Val Areyinka, and the director-general, Delta State Investment Development Agency, Anthony Elekeokuri, explained that FRILIA, a $750 million World Bank-assisted programme, would be made available to the state if it effectively implements the programme.

According to them, the World Bank facility is a performance-based financial support scheme that can only be accessed upon meeting clearly defined benchmarks set by development partners.

(NAN)